Things you may not know about Shakespeare?
As April 23rd is Shakespeare’s birthday, or is it, (more later) I thought I would write some notes about him. Shakespeare’s father John came to Stratford upon Avon from Snitterfield before 1532 as an…
May 19th is an interesting date for Tudor England
This was the date of a marriage and an execution, both related to Henry VIII. On May 19th, 1499 Catherine of Aragon married Henry’s elder brother, Arthur, by proxy! Yes, by proxy, this was because…
William the Conqueror
William the Conqueror was the first Norman king of England, reigning from 1066 until his death in 1087. He is responsible for commissioning ‘The Doomsday Book’, one of the most important historical documents ever created.…
Theseus
Theseus was the hero of many Greek legends, most notably Theseus and the Minotaur but was he a real person? Theseus was a mythological king and founder hero of Athens, sometimes described as the son…
Henry VIII
If you think of an English monarch, 9 times out of 10 Henry VIII will come to mind. He was an imposing character in life, and what he did while he was King, good and…
Tutankhamun
Tutankhamun was a young Boy King, lost to history, until his fully intact tomb was discovered in the Valley of the Kings in 1922. He is now one of, if not the most famous of…
Dick Turpin
Dick Turpin has become a legendary figure, a heroic dandy, with ballads written about him, popular theatre shows in the 18th and 19th century, and even Film and TV shows. In reality though, he was…
Ghandi
An Indian lawyer who used nonviolent resistance and persuasion to lead the successful campaign for India’s Independence from colonial British rule He inspired movements for civil rights and freedom across the world. Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi…
Rasputin
A mysterious and manipulative Russian mystic and self-proclaimed holy man. He is best-known for befriending the royal family of Nicholas II, the last Emperor of Russia through whom he gained influence and power in the later…
Adolf Hitler
Here was a man always near the top in any list of real life Villains, Adolph Hitler, who was responsible for killing millions of innocent men women and children during World War II. Born on…